Plywood tiling



Filed Aug. 22, 19,58

l .I4/v5: ,4.MALARK r UNITED STATES PATENT *ciI-FTCEI rLrwoon mmc James A. Malarkey, Portland. M.. alsignor tov M and M Wood Working Company, Portland, Oregon, a corporation of Oregon Appuootion August zz, 193s, serial No. 226,097'

2Claims.

This invention relates to a new article of man'- ufacture in .the nature of a panel constructed of wood, and more particularly to a plywood panel upon which is superimposed a multiplicity of.

5 small, independent units of wood veneer in imitation orf tiling, and to the process for producing the same.

vThe product of the present invention consists of a plywood base lcomprising a plurality of plies of alternate plies is normal to the grain of the adjacent plies. The plies are bonded together with a bond which is impervious to moisture, a

preferred bonding agent being a synthetic resin such as urea or phenol formaldehyde. The principal face of the panel is composed of a multipllclty-of independent units of hardwood veneer, these being arranged in predetermined pattern in imitation of tiling. Each unit ofthe hardwood veneer is bonded to the plywood base by a water .proof bond, and the grainof each unit is normal to -the grain of bondede Y The process of producing the product consists in manufacturing the ply-wood base in the manner hereinabove described and bonding to the obverse surface thereof a ply of hardwood veneer.

Thereupon the hardwood veneer is provided with a multiplicity of intersecting scores or kerfs which separate the hardwood veneer intol the requisite number of independent umts to produce the .desired pattern.

applicant has discovered that the tendency of` surface veneers to stay in place so as to maintain their machined design is greatlyincreased when the surface area is com-posed of small, independent units: as compared with an imprinted or cut-in design on a single veneer covering a large surface. This is due .to the fact that although the`shrinkage factor is constant for a small and large piece of the same material, the combined shrinkage in a small unit is much less than in a large unit. For this reason, where shrinkage may cause detrimental effects in large surfaces, it will not have a noticeable ejnect on the same area composedl of small independent surface v'Jio the accomplishment of the recited advantages and others coordinate therewith, the preferred embodiment of the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in .the accompanyins' drawing. and embraced within the scope of the appended claims.

of wood veneer, and so constructed that the grain the ply to which i't is I-n the drawing: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a panel embodying .the principles of the present invention Elgure 2 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the panel illustrating its construc- 5 t on.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the panel, o ne of the surface units being removed therefrom to illustrate the complete independence of .the respective units.

Figure4 is a plan view of one of the surface units,

As illustrated in the drawing, the product compris a panel consisting of a plurality ci' sheets l of wood veneer which are-bonded together tous form. a base .2, upon which is superimposed a multiplicity of independent units l of wood veneer so constructed and arranged as' to simulate tiling. The core or base 2 may comprise any number of sheets of veneer, it being highly preferable, however, that .the completed panel consist of an uneven number of plies so that the lateral forces which .tend to warp or twist the veneers will be distributed equally to both sides of the longitudinal center of the panel. As has been stated. the veneers areso'laid up that the grain of alternate plies is normal to the grain of adjacent plies. The drawing discloses a panel which is made of five plies of veneer, the center ply and the -two adjacent plies being formed yoi! core veneers, and the outside plies being formed of face veneers 4. Preferably, the face veneers 4 are of hardwood, whereas the core' veneers may be of nr orpine. In theilve'ply construction illustrated, the grain of the center ply is parallel with the. grain of the face veneers, 'whereas the grain of .the two plies intermediatebetween .the center ,and face plies is disposed at a right angle thereto. Thus it will appear that the grain of the face veneerv is normal to the lgrain of the core veneer .to which it is bonded. All of the bonds used in the construction of the panel are eiected by the use of a wat-er proof gluing composition, and the .resulting productis impervious to moisture. When the panel thus made is completed, the face veneer forming the principal suriace thereof is sawed both longitudinally and transversely of its surface in such manner as to create a multiplicity of intersecting scores or kerfs 5, 4^which extend through ,the face veneer and separate it inzto a multiplicity of independent surface' units in imitation of tiling.-

' Important advantag of the construction are that can be produced inlarge panels and applied directly on studd-ing at very low cost, and IB ,J that even when so applied lthe product cannot crack or split. Furthermore, the insulation value oi' the product issreatly in excess of the insulation value of similar materials, and condensation or moisture thereon is correspondingly reduced.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A tiled panel consisting of a plurality of plies o! wood veneer, the grain of each ply of veneer being disposed transversely of the grains of adjacent plies bonded thereto, ch of said plies o! veneer being eoexztensive with every other ply in said panel, the ply of veneer forming the principal surface of said panel containing interseotlns saw cuts oi a depth substantially equal to the thickness of said surface veneer. said saw cuts being disposed to create a crack resisting surface o! mtanitialiy independent units of wood .secting saw cuts'substantially through said -ply o( veneer to produce a pattern consisting of substantially separated units of surface veneer, all 15 of said veneers being bonded together with a waterproof bonding composition. l JAMES A. 

